


I Fell in Love with the Fire Long Ago

by floaty_insomniac



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: F/F, and self-indulgent as hell, it's literally just soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:22:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24338845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/floaty_insomniac/pseuds/floaty_insomniac
Summary: Chance and Mary-Anne have coffee together on the porch as part of their new morning routine.Written for Penumbra Podcast WLW Week! From May 24th-May 30th. Check out their Tumblr @penumbrawlwweek and Twitter @penumbrawlwweek!
Relationships: Chance Sequoyah/Mary Anne Watkins
Comments: 11
Kudos: 31
Collections: READ MORE WLW FIC COWARDS





	I Fell in Love with the Fire Long Ago

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this was written while listening to my Chance/Mary-Anne playlist "A Chance, Darlin'" on Spotify. Here y'all go. I am an absolute sucker for a good queer Wild West story and I am absolutely hyper-fixating on these two specifically. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!  
> Title is from "Would That I" by Hozier!

The sun shone in through the thin curtains. A slight breeze blew Mary-Anne’s hair around, tickling her nose and causing her to fully wake up. She sat up, stretching and brushing her fingers through her hair. She made herself stand and get out of bed, pushing the curtains aside and getting ready to start her morning routine. 

The repetitive nature of it was nice for Mary-Anne. Not that she wasn’t all for the excitement, but she was Mary-Anne after all. Several things had happened all at once; ending her relationship with Beau, beginning her relationship with Chance, starting to teach again. She had even cut her hair in favor of something shorter for the upcoming summer months. Prim and proper Miss Mary-Anne Watkins was adjusting to her life as a bandit’s wife. Not in so many words, as they weren’t married (yet), but there seemed to be few easy ways to describe her situation.

She looked out the window as she finished getting dressed and noticed Chance outside, tending to the horses like she did every morning. She liked to check on them before she got too busy to spend time with them. 

It was quite a lovely sight, Chance Sequoyah with her hair blowing around her, talking softly to Moonshine and Absinthe, brushing through their manes. No hat to cover her face as the sun caught her in its gentle morning light. Now Mary-Anne was not normally one for spying or eavesdropping, but she would give anything to know what she talked to those horses about. She always had a soft smile on her face, one that couldn’t be seen anywhere else. Only when she talked to the horses. 

She was lost in her thoughts when she heard a whistle. Chance had caught her looking. As Chance laughed, Mary-Anne flushed red and shut the curtains. She fanned herself with her hand for a few moments. Sure, she and Chance had already kissed, but it was one of those ‘heat of the moment’ kisses that romance novels always talk about. Everything had slowed down immediately following that. Chance completely flustered her far too easily.

After she’d calmed herself down, she made her way down to the kitchen quietly. It was still quite early and even the early risers of the children hadn’t woken up yet. 

Chance was making a pot of coffee when Mary-Anne walked down the stairs.  
“Mornin’ Miss Mary-Anne. Enjoy the view from your window?” Chance’s face held her signature smirk, and Mary-Anne flushed again. Chance looked over her shoulder as Mary-Anne stayed silent. When she saw the blush covering the majority of her face, she laughed. “I don’t mean to make fun, ma’am. Honest. Just think you’re real pretty when you get all red like that.” Mary-Anne basically refused to meet her eyes after that.  
“Well, I-” She couldn’t seem to make a sentence either.  
“Coffee’s ready.” Chance handed Mary-Anne her cup; cream and two sugars, exactly like she liked it, and then made her way out to the porch with Mary-Anne hot on her heels.  
The quiet sounds of morning could be heard throughout the ranch, the rustling of wind in the apple trees out front, the chickens in their coop. Chance surveyed the grounds as she sipped, sneaking glances at Mary-Anne every so often. Same as always, Chance noticed. Well, always since about a week ago. But Chance could certainly get used to this being their always. Sitting side by side on the front porch, drinking coffee as the day set in. But she could tell Mary-Anne was nervous about something. 

“Something on your mind, Miss?” Chance looked at her over her cup. Mary-Anne met her eyes. Chance knew the answer, of course. There was always something on Mary-Anne’s mind. “You know I’ll listen.” Truth be told, Chance would listen to damn near anything Mary-Anne could say. She liked to hear her speak.

Mary-Anne took a sip of her coffee, enjoying the feeling of waking up that came from drinking it. She considered it for a second, then cleared her throat. 

“Not that it’s any of my business, but-” She stopped herself. It really wasn’t her business, but what could be the harm in asking, right? 

“I’m gettin’ nervous, Miss. Just go on and ask. Worst’ll happen is I won’t answer.” Mary-Anne tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Might as well, right?

“What do you talk to the horses about?” Chance gave her a confused look, raising an eyebrow. 

“I really don’t mean to spy, but you always have the gentlest smile on your face when you talk to them.” Mary-Anne took a long sip of her coffee and avoided looking at her for a few seconds. When she looked up, she noticed the same soft smile from earlier on Chance’s face. She cleared her throat. “Precisely like that, actually.” Chance shook her head, like she hadn’t even noticed herself doing it. Chance laughed to herself, then looked at Mary-Anne who was busying herself smoothing down her long skirt.

“That’s what’s makin’ you so jumpy? Good God, Miss, y’almost made my heart stop.” Chance set down her now empty coffee cup and turned to face Mary-Anne, resting her arm on the back of the bench, ever so slightly brushing Mary-Anne’s shoulder. “See now, that ain’t too bad of a question. I thought you were gonna ask something a little more hard-hittin’ than that.” 

Mary-Anne flushed and suddenly became very interested in the hem of her skirt.  
“Hard hitting? Like what?” She looked up for a second. Chance stretched her legs out in front of her. 

“I don’t know- like my favourite colour?” Mary-Anne looked at her for a second, considering, then burst into laughter. Chance laughed along with her, watching her eyes light up, washing away all the worry from before. Goddamn, she is beautiful. That passing thought came to Chance every so often (more like always) when she looked at Mary-Anne. It came even more often now that she knew Mary-Anne wasn’t too keen on the idea of leaving lately. The more she watched her, the more beauty she saw in her. When Mary-Anne stopped laughing, she tucked a stray hair back behind her ear.

“You never answered, Chance.” Mary-Anne set down her empty coffee cup and turned on the bench so she was facing Chance. 

“My favourite colour is orange, like the sunset. Perhaps like your hair too, Miss.” Chance looked into her eyes. “An’ your other query,” she said, before Mary-Anne could protest. “I was talkin’ to them about you, Miss. Always do.” Mary-Anne was a bit startled by the answer. 

“About me? Am I really so interesting?” 

“More than you know, Miss.” Chance said with a wink. “Smart, feisty, beautiful. How’d ya get more interestin’ than that? Plus, Miss, they’re horses. Don’t really matter what you talk to them about.” 

“I suppose that’s right. And they-” Mary-Anne stopped mid-sentence. “You think I’m beautiful?” 

Chance moved to stand up, it was getting late into the morning and they both had work to do, but Mary-Anne’s question made her pause. 

“No offense, Miss, but how could I not? You seen the way you look while you teach?” Chance scratched the back of her head, probably the most flustered she had ever been. “I always try to catch you before your lessons are over, so’s I can watch for a minute or two.” Chance actually stood up this time, grabbing both of their cups and stretching out her back. “Time to start our day yet, Miss Mary-Anne?” Mary-Anne dusted off her skirt and reached for the cups so she could do the morning dishes as Chance cooked breakfast for the children. 

“I’ll start the dishes. It’s only fair.” Chance let her reach for the cups and when she got close enough, she pulled them away and pulled Mary-Anne into a kiss. Gentle and passionate at the same time; Chance’s kisses matched her to a point. When they broke away, Mary-Anne sighed which made Chance laugh. 

“It’s gonna be a good mornin’, darlin’. Now I just know it.”


End file.
